Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for generating dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones in a media gateway within a wireless communications network, said method comprising: receiving a DTMF signal in a media gateway controller, said DTMF signal comprising a Stop Tone request or a Start Tone request, wherein said media gateway controller is in communication with said media gateway and controls said media gateway; sending said DTMF signal from said media gateway controller to said media gateway; monitoring a status of a plurality of timers in said media gateway to implement a finite state machine, said plurality of timers comprising a minimum tone duration timer, an inter tone timer, and a maximum tone duration timer, said status of said timers being off, on, or expired; and using said finite state machine located within the media gateway to generate DTMF tones of different durations in the media gateway and to respond to at least one of said received DTMF signal, said status of said timers, or a prior queued request based on a DTMF signal.
2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said responding step includes playing no tone, where said DTMF signal is a Stop Tone request and said status of each of said timers is off.
3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein said responding step includes playing a tone and starting said minimum and maximum timers, where said DTMF signal is a Start Tone request and said status of each of said timers is off.
4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said responding step includes playing a tone, expiring said maximum timer, and queuing a Stop Tone request, where said DTMF signal is a Stop Tone request, said status of said minimum and maximum timers is on and said status of said inter tone timer is off.
5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein said responding step includes playing no tone and starting said inter tone timer, where said queued request is a Stop Tone request, said status of said minimum and maximum timers is expired, and said status of said inter tone timer is off.
6. The method defined in claim 5 wherein said responding step includes playing no tone and queuing a Start Tone request, where said DTMF signal is a Start Tone request, said status of said inter tone timer is on, and said status of said minimum and maximum timers is expired.
7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein said responding step includes playing a tone, where said status of said maximum timer is on, said status of said minimum timer is expired, and said status of said inter tone timer is off.
8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein said responding step includes playing no tone, where said status of each of said timers is expired.
9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said responding step includes playing no tone, expiring said maximum timer, and starting said inter tone timer, where said DTMF signal is a Stop Tone request, said status of said minimum timer is expired, said status of said maximum timer is on, and said status of said inter tone timer is off.
10. The method defined in claim 9 wherein said responding step includes playing no tone and starting said inter tone timer, where said status of said minimum and maximum timers is expired, and said status of said inter tone timer is off.
11. The method defined in claim 10 wherein said responding step includes playing no tone where said DTMF signal is a Stop Tone request, said status of said minimum and maximum timers is expired, and said status of said inter tone timer is on.
12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the said responding step includes playing a tone and starting said minimum and maximum timers, where said queued request is a Start Tone request, said status of said minimum and maximum timers is expired, and said status of said inter tone timer is expired.
13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein said sending step further includes sending said DTMF signal via an H.248/Megaco protocol.
14. The method defined in claim 13 said wireless communications network is a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System network.
15. The method defined in claim 14 wherein said media gateway controller is a softswitch.
16. A system for generating DTMF tones in a wireless communications network, said system comprising: a media gateway for receiving a DTMF signal from user equipment via a radio network, said DTMF signal comprising either a stop tone request or a start tone request; a plurality of tone timers within said media gateway to implement a finite state machine; a media gateway controller in communication with said media gateway for controlling said media gateway and for monitoring a status of said timers; and the finite state machine within said media gateway for generating DTMF tones of different durations in the media gateway and responding to said received DTMF signal and said status of said timers.
17. The system defined in claim 16 wherein said plurality of timers includes a minimum tone duration timer, an inter tone timer, and a maximum tone duration timer.
18. The system defined in claim 16 wherein said finite state machine comprises a plurality of states and a plurality of transitions between said states.
19. The system defined in claim 18 wherein said plurality of states comprises No Tone, Play Tone, Queue Stop Request, Inter Tone Timing, Queue Start Request, and Ready to Stop Tone states.
20. The system defined in claim 19 wherein a tone is played in each of said Play Tone, Queue Stop Request, and Ready to Stop Tone states.
21. A system for generating DTMF tones in a wireless communications network, said system comprising: a media gateway; a media gateway controller in communication with the media gateway that controls the media gateway; a finite state machine within said media gateway for generating DTMF tones of different durations in the media gateway and responding to DTMF signal and status of a plurality of timers, said finite state machine comprising a plurality of states and a plurality of transitions between said states, said plurality of states comprising No Tone, Play Tone, Queue Stop Request, Inter Tone Timing, Queue Start Request, and Ready to Stop Tone states; and said plurality of timers within said media gateway to implement said finite state machine.
22. The system defined in claim 21 wherein said plurality of timers comprises a minimum tone duration timer, an inter tone timer, and a maximum tone duration timer.
23. The system as defined in claim 22 wherein a tone is played in each of said Play Tone, Queue Stop Request, and Ready to Stop Tone states.
Unknown
December 8, 2009
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